Project Overview

This fountain is designed specifically for STUBBORN SODA®, which is all about doing things the right way, even if it is the hard way – because it tastes better. STUBBORN® Craft Fountain is a sleek, modern machine that celebrates craft and heritage without being retro and nostalgic. The design language translates brand values like quality and craftsmanship in its use of colors, materials and finishes. Visual cues of gleaming steel and dark wood reference a commitment to artisanal processes. The main focus point in the consumer journey is using elegant levers to manually dispense soda, giving them a pleasant experience that sets the STUBBORN brand apart and reinforces its ethos.

Organisation

PepsiCo

 

Team

PepsiCo Design & Innovation

Project Brief

STUBBORN Craft Fountain is a sleek, modern machine that celebrates craft and heritage without being retro and nostalgic. The design language translates brand values like quality and craftsmanship in its use of colors, materials and finishes. Visual cues of gleaming steel and dark wood reference a commitment to artisanal processes.

This soda dispenser is rooted in the artisanal brand identity of STUBBORN SODA. STUBBORN SODA is a high-quality line of soft drinks sweetened with fair trade cane sugar containing no high-fructose corn syrup. STUBBORN insists on quality over easy choices.

Project Innovation/Need

STUBBORN Craft Fountain delivers the best possible soda experience for the growing tastes of consumers looking for more artisanal and craft sodas. STUBBORN Craft Fountain dispenses the products, including Caleb’s Draft and IZZE Twizt, via a unique pouring experience with manual pull-level tap handles inspired by craft beer and vintage soda units. Similar to how a bartender pours a beer, the consumer now uses two hands to pour their drink while manipulating the angle of the cup to control the amount of foam to suit their personal tastes.

Design Challenge

Pouring soda from a traditional dispenser is a forgettable experience since it has not changed in over 15 years, and it is rooted in traditional carbonated soft drink cues, which is vastly different from the artisanal traits of STUBBORN SODA. With traditional soda fountains, customers see it as a pure transactional process where they use their cup to push a lever to dispense their drink. This fountain adds the romance back into the experience—they feel like they are pouring their favorite craft beverage. STUBBORN Craft Fountain delivers the best possible soda experience for the growing tastes of consumers looking for more artisanal and craft sodas.

Sustainability

Creating this soda fountain was about meeting the changing needs of the market in a sustainable way. It is rooted in the artisanal brand identity of STUBBORN SODA, a high-quality line of soft drinks sweetened only with Fair Trade Certified cane sugar containing no high-fructose corn syrup and no azo dyes. STUBBORN insists on quality over easy choices.

PepsiCo continues to refine food and beverage choices to meet changing consumer needs by reducing sodium, added sugars and saturated fats, and developing a broader portfolio of product choices.